It Wasn't Her Stealing, It Wasn't His Expertise
by De-gnome
Summary: Her stealing was not the reason for her running. Not Really. Nor is her end of stealing the reason for her staying. His expertise in linguistics was not the reason for his running. Not Really.
1. It Wasn't The Stealing

**Diclaimer: I don't own them, as much as I wish it**

For years she ran.

Lying, stealing, exploiting. She deceived someone. She misused their trust. She could never stay in any one place. That was her reason for running. Or so she believed.

But that was not the truth. She did not realise her devieving was a just cover.

Until she met him. Then her view changed.

For the first time since becoming a host, someone trusted her. For the first time since becoming a host, she trusted someone. For the first time since becoming a host, she cared for someone, and was cared for. For the first time since becoming a host, she acknowledged her true reason for running.

Fear. The fear of betrayal. The fear of looking into someone's eyes and seeing the hate, the anger, the disgust.

Now, she is no longer afraid of seeing the hate, anger, or disgust. Not from him.

She will annoy him, she will aggravate him. He will respond in kind. But there is no hate there, no disgust. There may be disappointment, but only if she deserves it. She avoids that as best she can.

She is slowly becoming used to not running, to being welcome, to being accepted, to having a home. She is beginning to realise she may have a place here. She may have a friend. She may have a love.

And now, she will not run. Not while there is a chance. Not while his eyes continue to shine with his trust, his friendship and maybe , just maybe, his love.

fin

**A/N: Please reveiw. Constructive critisism is always welcome. **


	2. It Wasn't The Expertise

**A/N: OK this I hadn't planned to write. The story was supposed to be a one-off. But then **acer-sigma** sugested that I write from Daniel's POV. **

**The thing is,****this could be read as out of character, but I wanted to show Daniel as different to the usual. I also wanted to keep up the 'theme' of running, and both Daniel and Vala's reasons for no longer running.**

He had always wanted to go to Atlantis. That was no big secret (inside the program, of course).

He had always been a geek, only befriended by other geeks. (He doesn't count Teal'c and Jack – those friendships were forged mainly due to their reliance on each other to survive.)

Atlantis, however, was full of geeks. Even some of the soldiers were geeky in their own right, like Sheppard with his maths and comics and Lorne with his geology.

His argument for his wish to go to Atlantis was that he was the foremost expert in the Ancient culture and language – in both Galaxies. That was what he told Jack – and himself.

But if he acknowledged the truth, it was running. Running from a society that didn't truely accept him – a man best at ease with his nose in a book, reading and speaking different languages or living ancient cultures. He stayed on Abydos, not wanting to face Earth's culture again, and later (according to the tape recording) stayed in Ancient Egypt.

Then she came crashing into his life. A brilliant 'space pirate' (never mind the fact that she was a complete fruitcake). She had seen so much. She had been a host to a Goa'uld, she had been a liar and a thief, but now, now she was trying to be something else. He saw her trying to become an honest, reliable person and member of SG1.

Though she would try to drive him crazy, right when he was at the end of his tether, when he was about to snap, he would sometimes be lucky enough to glimpse that look in her eyes … that look which conveyed the truth behind her sexual banter, her fear of rejection, her insecurity, her wish to have a friend.

So Daniel stayed. He stopped trying to run. He had friend that was not a geek, had not befriended him just because they were forced together into dangerous situations due to their job (if you discount the bracelets that is). He had a friend, who he hoped might, just might, become something more.


End file.
